Free kit · People and hiring
Staff Performance Review Kit: free performance review template in Word, Excel and PDF
Run staff reviews that hold no surprises. Agree each person's goals at the start of the year, collect a self-review and 360 feedback before the meeting, give evidence for every rating, and talk it through with pay kept for a later conversation. When a serious gap stays open, a fair improvement plan sets the standard, the support and the date.
Word, Excel and PDF · 14 pages · For executive directors and the managers who review staff
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What is inside
- Goals for the year. Each responsibility with its standard, three goals for the year and a development goal, signed at the start of the year.
- Self-review. The person rates each responsibility, gives each goal its result with evidence, and answers three questions about the year.
- 360 feedback form. Eight statements for four to eight colleagues, reported only by group so no answer can be traced to one person.
- Annual review. Ratings with evidence for the responsibilities, the goals and nine qualities of how the work is done, an overall rating and signatures.
- Review meeting guide. A 60-minute meeting in six parts that starts with their view, and four rules for saying the hard part.
- Performance improvement plan. The expectation not met, the evidence with dates, what success looks like by the end date and the support you will give.
- Plan check-in log. One row for each check-in of the plan, recording what was seen rather than how it felt.
How to use it
- Start of the year: agree the responsibilities, three goals and a development goal (Form A), and check them at mid-year.
- Four weeks before the meeting: choose four to eight colleagues together and send them the 360 form (Form C).
- Two weeks before: the self-review (Form B) and the 360 forms come back; one week before, the manager writes the review (Form D).
- The meeting: talk it through with the guide (Form E) and draft next year's goals; the pay conversation comes at least a week later.
- If a serious gap stays open: talk to HR or an employment attorney first, then use the improvement plan and its log (Forms F and G).
Not legal advice. The review forms and the performance improvement plan in this kit are templates, and employment law differs by state. Have HR or an employment attorney review them before first use, and talk to them before you start an improvement plan, change anyone's pay or role, or take any step that could end in dismissal. Adapt the forms to your personnel policies and to any union contract.
Questions
Is the kit free?
Yes. Enter your name, email and organization once, and every kit in the library opens on this browser.
Can I edit it?
Yes. The Word and Excel files are fully editable: change the responsibilities, the 360 statements and the qualities in the annual review to fit each role, and match the forms to your personnel policies.
Does it work in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs; the tables and ruled lines carry over.
Can I share it inside my organization?
Yes. Copy it, adapt it and share it with your board and staff.
Read the guide
More kits for executive directors
One-on-One Meeting and Delegation KitA one-on-one agenda and notes log, a delegation matrix with four levels of authority, a handover sheet and a first-conversation guide
Leadership Development Plan TemplateA two-page plan: three priorities, 70-20-10 activities and monthly check-ins
Executive Director Evaluation KitForms, a calendar and a development plan for one annual review
With performance reviews, the form is rarely where it goes wrong. The conversations are: telling a well-liked colleague, or a former peer, that their work falls short, and keeping that clear when they push back. A coach helps the manager prepare for them and say the hard part plainly.
Six sessions of executive coaching: $300, $400 or $600, set by your organization's yearly operating expenses.
